Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-19
The Interstate Commission Declines E
Act Upon Certain Petitions.

aCt upon certain IeItti0nS.
WASHINGTON, April 1Sth.-The following
is synopsis embodying the material points
IN by far the most important action yet
taken by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. The decision is rendered in the case
of two petitions-that of the Order of Rail
way Conductors and of the Traders and
Travellers Union, which are of a kind that
render the decision especially interesting
on account OF their being representatives of
a very large number of applications made TO
the Commission. The latter petition deals
with the manner in which the former sys-
tenn of allowing additional free baggage
has been interfered with by the interstate
bill. The petition of the railway con-
ductors asks for information as to the
proper Interpretation of the law as apply
ing to the issuing of passes to railway en-
ployes and their families-to those who
make railway service their business
while temporary out of employment and
in search of situations and if transporta-
ton at reduced rates are provided for rep
resentatives of any one association, must
the same be extended to all others which
are composed exclusively of railway en-
ployes.
In reply the Commission says: "a care
ful reading of the Act to regulate COM
merce,' under which the Commission is
organized, will show the petitioners and
others who have made similar applications
that no jurisdiction has been given us to
answer questions like these under consid-
Grafton. Two sections of the law confer
power upon the Commission to entertain
and decide applications and petitions. Sec
ton empowers us, upon application by a
common carrier, to authorize such COM
mon carrier in special cases, TO charge less
for longer than for shorter distances ever
the same line, and also to prescribe the
extent of relief from the operation of the
former part of the same section,
which designated what privileges a COM
mon carrier may, from time to time, enjoy.
1t is obvious that applications like those
of the Railway Conductors and Traders
and Travellers Union have no relation
whatever to the duties imposed upon us
by section four, and this is the only section
of the law which the Commission has
power to suspend or relax. Section 13 au-
| thorizes complaints to the Commission,
| and conferS jurisdiction 10 entertain the
same; but neither the Railway Conductors
nor Traders and Travellers Union COM
| plain that any common carrier has violated
| the law. They present no complaint OF
anything done or omitted from the provi-
| sions of the law.
'If a railway company should issue pass
| to conductor and his family to attend the
approaching Convention, or should trans
port 800 pounds of baggage free for COM
mercial traveller, under the present Indem-
nifty system, and some person, feeling
aggrieved, should make complaint of un-
| just discrimination, it would be then proper
for the Commission to entertain the ques-
| ton of whether the conduct was or was not
in violation of the law, and if so, whether
it is or not within the exceptions (as statt
within Section 22) Complaints may also
be presented if the charges made by car
riers are not considered reasonable and
just, but until questions of this kind come
before us in the way clearly indicated by
the statute, it would be worse than useless
| for us to express our opinions or give ed,
vice"